Method for producing a contactless chip card using transfer paper

Abstract

The invention concerns a manufacturing process for a contactless smart card (or ticket) which includes the following steps:a manufacturing process for an antenna consisting in screen-printing turns of an electrically conductive polymer ink onto a transfer paper sheet, and then subjecting said support to heat treatment in order to bake and polymerize said conductive ink,connection of a chip 14, provided with contacts, to the antenna 12, lamination consisting in making the transfer paper sheet integral with a layer of plastic material 16 which constitutes the support for the antenna, by hot press molding, in such a way that the screen-printed antenna and the chip are both embedded within the layer of plastic material,removal of the transfer paper sheet, andlamination of the card body onto the antenna support by welding at least one layer of plastic material (18, 20) by hot press molding on each side of the support.

Description

[0006]This application is a U.S. National Stage of International application PCT / FR02 / 01625, filed May 14, 2002.TECHNICAL FIELD[0007]This invention concerns the field of smart cards (or tickets), and more particularly a manufacturing method for a contactless smart card.PRIOR ART[0008]Smart cards and tickets, and more particularly ISO format cards, have become extremely widespread in recent years. Above and beyond their use as credit cards, smart cards have become indispensable tools in many areas. This growth is largely due to the fact that, in addition to the traditional use of cards which make contact with the appropriate reader (e.g. bank and telephone cards), the new cards can be used without any physical contact with the reader.[0009]The exchange of information between the contactless card or hybrid contact-contactless card and the associated reader is accomplished by remote electromagnetic coupling between an antenna integrated into the contactless card and a second antenna lo...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The invention proposes a method for manufacturing a contactless smart card using a plastic material antenna produced by screen-printed ink. The method includes steps of manufacturing the antenna, connecting it to a chip, and then embedding it in a layer of plastic material. The chip is then laminated onto the antenna support and the card body is welded onto the support. The technical effect of this invention is to provide a reliable and low-cost method for manufacturing a contactless smart card."

Problems solved by technology

However, the production of such cards is relatively expensive.

This is because the use of copper and etching processes are both expensive.

Moreover, producing such an antenna on a PVC support necessarily entails using sophisticated—and therefore expensive—machinery.

However, screen-printing on PVC is associated with a number of drawbacks.

Furthermore, PVC exhibits poor thermomechanical properties.

Before lamination, when the conductive ink used to create the antenna is drying, the temperature is higher than that at which the plastic material becomes soft so there is deformation of the support which affects the antenna's electrical performance.

This leads to antenna malfunction as electrical parameters (inductance and resistance) vary.

Even more serious, it is not uncommon to experience antenna breakage in areas where strong sheer stresses are present.

Moreover, it is impossible to replace the thermoplastic material with a thermosetting one since the latter is not amenable to hot lamination.

Another disadvantage is that, when the antenna is screen-printed onto PVC, connecting the chip to the antenna is much more difficult.

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